Oral acyclovir reduces the incidence of recurrent herpes simplex keratitis in rabbits after penetrating keratoplasty
C. F. Beyer, M. Q. Arens, G. A. Hill, B. T. Rose, L. R. Beyer and D. J. Schanzlin
National Eye Institute, Bethesda, Md.
To determine if acyclovir sodium prevents postoperative herpes simplex
virus type 1 (HSV-1) recurrences, 21 rabbits harboring latent HSV-1
underwent uniocular autograft penetrating keratoplasty. All operated-on
eyes were treated with topical and subconjunctival dexamethasone sodium
phosphate. Ten of the 21 rabbits also received oral acyclovir (intravenous
acyclovir was given at the time of surgery). Postoperatively, 9 (82%) of 11
operated-on eyes in rabbits not treated with acyclovir had positive HSV-1
ocular cultures. In acyclovir-treated rabbits, however, none of the 10
operated-on eyes had positive ocular cultures. In addition, 9 (82%) of 11
of the operated-on eyes had geographic ulcers develop in the
non-acyclovir-treated rabbits, compared with 1 (10%) of 10 in the
acyclovir-treated rabbits. Finally, stromal keratitis appeared in 5 (56%)
of 9 of the operated-on eyes in non-acyclovir-treated rabbits and 1 (12%)
of 8 of the operated-on eyes in acyclovir-treated rabbits. The results of
this study indicate that acyclovir significantly lowered the incidence of
HSV-1 ocular shedding, geographic ulceration, and stromal keratitis in a
rabbit autograft penetrating keratoplasty model.
